US 2004/0203157 A1 · Protection against environmental toxicity through manipulation of the processing of messenger rna precursors

Abstract

This invention describes the identification of pre-messenger RNA processing as a novel target of environmental stress caused for example by lithium and sodium toxicity. Overexpression of different types of proteins (or protein fragments) from different organisms but all involved in pre-mRNA processing, protects yeast from salt stress, which indicates that any stimulation of this process, independently of its mechanism, may counteract the toxic effects of mineral salts. A similar phenotype of tolerance to NaCl and to LiCl has been observed by overexpression of these types of proteins in transgenic Arabidopsis plants, demonstrating the generality of this protective effect in eukaryotic cells and organisms.

Claims53

Dependent claims

A method to enhance stress tolerance in cells and organisms comprising the manipulation of the process of processing messenger RNA precursors.

An isolated nucleic acid encoding a protein or an immunologically active and/or functional fragment of such a protein selected from the group consisting of:

a) a nucleic acid comprising a DNA sequence as given in any of SEQ ID NOs 1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17 or 19 or the complement thereof,
b) Nucleic acid comprising the RNA sequence corresponding to any of SEQ ID NOs 1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17 or 19 as in (a) or the complement thereof,
c) Nucleic acid specifically hybridizing to the nucleotide sequence ad defined in (a) or (b),
d) nucleic acid encoding a protein with an amino acid sequence which is at least 95% identical to the polypeptide represented in any of SEQ ID NOs 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20or 21,
e) nucleic acid encoding a protein comprising the amino acid sequence as given in any of SEQ ID NOs, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 21 or 22,
f) nucleic acid which is degenerated as a result of the genetic code to a nucleotide sequence of a nucleic acid as given in any of SEQ ID NOs 1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17 or 19 or as defined (a) to (e),
g) nucleic acid which is diverging due to the differences in codon usage between the organisms to a nucleotide sequnce encoding a protein as given in any of SEQ ID NOs 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 or 21 or as defined in (a) to (e),
h) nucleic acid which is diverging due to the differences in alleles encoding a protein as given in any of SEQ ID NOs, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 or 21 or as defined in (a) to (e),
i) nucleic acid encoding an immunologically active and/or functional fragment of a protein encoded by a DNA sequence as given in any of SEQ ID NOs 1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17 or 19 or as defined (a) to (e),
j) nucleic acid encoding a protein as defined in SEQ ID Nos, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 or 21 or as defined in (a) to (i) characterized in that said sequence is DNA, cDNA, genomic DNA or synthetic DNA.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

10/258,148Filed 16 Dec 2002

Priority

ES P 20000110219 Apr 2000

Published

14 Oct 2004

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

C07K 14/47
From vertebrates: from mammals
A61P 43/00
Drugs for specific purposes, not provided for in groups a61p1/00-a61p41/00
C07K 14/415
Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof: from plants
C12N 15/8273
For stress resistance, e.g. heavy metal resistance: for drought, cold, salt resistance

Protection against environmental toxicity through manipulation of the processing of messenger rna precursors

Life of this patent

Protection against environmental toxicity through manipulation of the processing of messenger rna precursors

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims53